Release
by ENTRIKIT
Summary: Edward x Bella x Jacob. It's the day of the wedding, and she wonders if he'll come. Written before the release of Breaking Dawn.


Starting Phrase: There wasn't any, really. -shrug-

Start Date: 10/19/07

End Date: 10/19/07

Satisfaction: -love- :D

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Title: Release

Pairing: Edward x Bella x Jacob

Summary: It's the day of the wedding, and she wonders if he'll come. If she wants him to come.

Inspiration: Just finished re-reading Eclipse; _No matter what they told you, you're not alone,_ 'Like You' by Evanescence

Disclaimer: Standard stuff applies.

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Author's Note: As soon as I finished Eclipse again, I wrote this. Literally. I turned on the computer once I put down the book. xD I really like this one, and I don't even care how short it is. -heart-

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It was a somewhat casual wedding. Jessica, Mike, Angela and Ben, looking uncomfortable sitting by the Cullens; her mother and Paul; Charlie, somewhat disgruntled it's Edward standing next to her; Alice, beaming for her accomplishment; Esme and Carlisle, smiling at each other; Jasper radiating contentment, trying to keep Charlie in check; Emmet and Rosalie. All of them, everyone she'd invited, showed up as promised.

All but the ones she wished the hardest for.

And at the same time, she was glad none of them appeared. So infinitely glad. She wouldn't have been able to stand it with them there, and at the same time, their absence ate at her. But one look at Edward and she could believe for that one moment that there was nothing wrong.

Just for that one moment.

She had to remind herself to breathe, fake the smile; no, not quite fake it. For whoever was there or not, she was happy, in a way. Edward's eyes searched her own for the source of her tension and she squeezed his hand; she couldn't give it words. Not now, not yet. And she knew in a hundred years, two, she would still remember this day; and she wanted her memories to be happy ones.

But she couldn't make it all so.

This day, this dress, these people; all were for her, and for Edward, and no other reason. And she was glad, indeed, that it was happening. Though with that gladness was a sharp stab in her chest, a small blade that prodded at the tear in her heart. That tear would stay there forevermore; she knew that, and her soon-to-be husband knew that too. Knew it well. Knew it too well for comfort's sake. But he would give anything to make her happy, and she, him, and thus it would be an endless cycle of 'should have', 'could have', 'would have'. But 'did not' stayed there, ever hovering, ever whispering tauntingly to them both.

And Charlie took her arm with a slightly watery smile, and her smile was equal and the same. But her senses were oddly in tune with what she was doing, however distant her thoughts were. She felt his arm looped through hers quite acutely, felt every step resonate through the shoes she wore. All were reminders that soon, she would lose the sensitivity she had now.

But it would be worth it, she told herself as the ceremony began. It would be worth it.

Wouldn't it?

Later, with the vows, she didn't register what she said. She had the lines memorized to the point where she could recite them backwards without a pause. But her mind drifted, even when she saw him smile. Saw him say, "I do." Saw him move closer, and she smiled back, and they kissed.

But when she pulled her head back and gave him a hug, his icy skin feeling colder than it usually did, she saw a russet-colored wolf in the bushes.

It was huge, and the look in its eyes was something indescribable. It was more than anguish but less than human; and she knew, then, that he was no longer able to phase back. He'd been in that form too long. And she began to cry softly, torn once more, between her _soul mate_ and her _something more_.

And the wolf, his eyes now clouded over, turned and walked away without a backward glance.

He had, after all, come to see her marry. He had clung to some shred of humanity in him until this day, for this purpose, to lock eyes with her once more.

He had come to let her go.


End file.
